Improved ditching-machine



UNITED .STATES SAMUEL F. JoNES, oF sr. PAUL, INDIANA.

IMPROVED DITCHING-MACHINE.

specification forming part of Letterslratent No.49,27o, dated August s, 1865.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it know-:1 that I, SAMUEL F. JONES, of St. Paul, in the county of Decatur and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved DitchingMachine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail drawing, showing the `projected box a. i

The nature ot' my invention consists in the construction and arrangement ofthe drag-bars d d', adjustable colters W W', the seliadjusting scoop l and apron F; also, the method olf hanging the upper end ofthe trough M on the inner ends ofthe boxes a a" in the posts H L, thus avoiding the necessity of changing the length of the band D when the front end of the trough is let down or raised up.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A are parallel timbers with the tongue pieceBsecured between their front ends. The

lrear ends are framed into the axle Gr, Fig. 1.

To the front end ofthe ton gue-piece B the coupling U is attached. The drag-bars d d', Fig. 1, are secured to the under side and inner edge of the timbers A A', allowing them a hinge motion, and that they may be raised up between thetimbers. Neart-hebackendsofthedrag-bars d d', and on the inside, the pieces w', Fig. 2, are bolted, heilig bent in such a manner as to form mortises or slots, through which the colters W W are passed and held in place by bolts e.

These bolts form fulcrums for the colters,which admit of their being adjusted back and forth,

as may be desired. The colters are held in Whatcolters W W', Fig. 3, are bent in sucha manner as to bring the outside of the colters below the drag-bars in line with the outside of the bars. The lower ends ofthe colters are turned inward and form horizontal cutters a a', Fig. 1, which are designed to break up the middleot' the ditch. One of these colters should be placed its width in advance of the other, for the purpose of making the cutting easier.

The spool u, Fig. 1, has its bearingJ .I on the upper side of the timbers A A in the rear of the drag-bars. Said Spool is turned by means ot' the crank b, and is held in position by the ratchet s andpawl t, Fig. 2. Two chains, it', Figs. l and 3, are attached to the spool n, with one end of each attached to the rear end of the drag-bars, as shown.

The posts H L, Figs. 1 and 2, are securedto the back part of the axleG, and extend up to receive the bearings g, Fig. 4, ofthe shaftX, Fig. 1, and are stayed at the top by the braces SI S. The boxes a a, Figs. 1 and 4, are round. The inner ends of each are projected beyond the inside of the posts H L, as shown at c", Fig 4, far enough for the upper ends of the sides of the trough M tohangon. The shaftXispassed through said boxes and through the pulley h, Fig. 2, which is placed in the upperend of the trough M, and between'the projectedends of the boxes a a, Fig. 1.

Pulley h, Fig. 2,is secured in the lower end of the trough. The sides of the trough are nailed V to the edges ofa partition-board,the upper side of which is even with the top side ot' the pulleys, so that the carrying-band D, Fig.\1, will pass, with its load, from one pulley to the other `Without swaying. A uniform length ofthe carrying-band is attained by hanging the `upper end of the said trough onthe projected ends of the Said boxes, with the driving-pulley between them. Then in Whatever position the lower end of the trough maybe placed thelower pulley bears the same relation to the upper one. The said carrying'band is provided with scrapersZ,Figs.1and2. Saidscrapersaretoprevent the dirt from slipping back as it is being carried up. The scoop I is slipped over the lower end ofthe trough M Fig. 3. The boltn is passed through the scoop and through the lower corners of the trough. This allowsthe front end of the scoop to play up and down. Said scoop is rendered self-adjusting by means of the weighted lever m', the front end of which is seapron lies looseon the bottom of thel scoopf As the plowed earth is gathered by the scoop it is forced up over the apron on the carrying band. f

The spool m, Fig. l., has its bearings K K' on the upper side of the timbers A A', and

over the front end of the trough. It is operated by means ot' the crank b', and held in p0- sition by the ratchet c' and pawl t', Fig. 3.

Two chains, r r', Fig. 1, are attached to this spool, with one end of each attached to the sides of the trough, near the upper ed ge. By these chains the scoop is raised up or let down. The pins 'w u', Fig. 1, are secured to the back of the posts H L, on which the upper end of the spout E is hung, with its lower end resting on the pinsff'. Said spout is held in its place by the tap V. The dirt is thrown off the carrying-band into this spout and conveyed down on the ground at one side of the ditch. The spout may be changed to throw the dirt on either side of the ditch. It may become necessary in a sticky snbsoil to use an endless band in said spout, similar to the carrying-band D, to prevent the clay from sticking to the spout and filling it up. The post T, Fig. 1, is secured to the back of the axle G, near the right-hand end, and extends up and forms av `bearing for the outer end of the shaft X. The cog-wheel P' is secured to the inside of the wheel Q, and gears into the small cog-wheel c, which is on the outer end of the shaft. The collers W W should be set to cut a little wider than the scoop, so that the scoop and trough would not bind in the ditch.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The machine is coupled to the axle ot' the front wheels of a common wagon, to which the team is then attached and driven to the place of beginning. The colters W W' are then let down by means ofthe spool n and chainsi t', to cut whatever depth the team is capable of drawing, and is held in that position by the ratchet depth by means of the chains r r', ratchet c', and pawl t'. As the trough M is being let down the front end of the scoop I strikes the ground. 71th the aid of the weighted lever m' it will adjust itself to a proper position. As the front end of the scoop turns up in settling to its position the lower end of the apron F slips forward and keeps itself in a proper position for the dirt to pass up over it onto the carrying-band D. The colters p.ow up Ithe earth in the bottom of the ditch. The scoop gathers it up and 'passes it up over the apron on the carrying-band, which delivers it into the spout E, which conveysit down on the ground at one side of the ditch. When the operator has gone as far as he wants to ditch, the drag-bars d d' and scoop I are drawn up between the timbers A A', and when the machine is returned for a second cut the colters are adjusted to a proper position by placing the lower end of the braces o o' one notch forward on the drag-bars. Then the colters and scoop are let down to cut as much lower than they did before as the operator may see iit. This operation is continued until the ditch is cut as deep as may be required.

The object of this invention is to obtain a ditching-machine that will cut an open ditch any depth required, suitable for laying tiling for the purpose of draining wet land.

Having thusfully described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The drag-bars d d', with adjustable colters W W', and braces o o', when arranged as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The self-adjusting scoop I, apron F, and weighted lever m', when arranged substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The method of hanging the upper ends of the sides of the trough M on the projected ends ofathe boxes a" c", whereby a uniform length of thc carrying-band is obtained, independent of the position of the lower end of the trough.

4. In combination with the colters W W', scoop I, apron F, projected boxes a" a", the spools n m, chains t' i' and r r', carrying-band D, Scrapers Z, and conveying-spout E, when arranged as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL F. JONES.

Witnesses:

JAMES S. KING, T. W. SIEGEL. 

